


Ressurection

by Antopops



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Blood, Drinking, Established Relationship, Fighting, M/M, PTSD, Smoking, Violence, more to be added - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 01:30:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12694242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antopops/pseuds/Antopops
Summary: Demon hunting is risky business, but no one goes to war without knowing the risks. Levi always figured so long as he didn't form any ties he would be fine. But Eren Jaeger came and went, ripping Levi's heart out of his chest along the way.While life is full of surprises, however, sometimes they're never the kind we expect.





	1. Prologue

“That’s eleven for me!” Eren’s voice barely reached Levi, but the triumphant way the younger hunter twirled his daggers in his hands conveyed the message well enough. He was enjoying himself despite the nasty “clean up” work they’d been sent to complete. Fighting one demon was frustrating enough, especially if they were skilled. But a whole nest of demons? With only four hunters? It was a suicide mission.

Thankfully though, Levi and Eren knew what they were doing. They were considered the best of the best at the Academy and would continue to be thought of that way, long after this situation was dealt with. Petra was there to help too, as was Auruo. The skill level of the four hunters was enough to compensate for their lack in numbers.

It didn’t mean any of this was easier though.

Levi kicked his leg out and sent a demon that had charged at him toppling down. The creature landed in an unattractive heap, limbs splayed in every direction. Not to be underestimated, however, he leapt back to his feet and snarled at Levi. One of the deadliest weapons a demon possessed was its tail: half scaly and half flesh like, it was adorned with a barbed tip that would poison anything it touched. For that reason alone Levi was limited to how much damage he could inflict. The demon in front of him now was swishing his tail back and forth behind him, and Levi knew it was only a matter of time before the other worldly creature started using it more fervently.

A loud crash alerted him to Auruo’s presence. He stood over a fallen demon and slammed one of his daggers into its chest without hesitation. “Thirteen! Come on Eren, pick up your feet!”

Why those two idiots thought this life threatening situation was a _game_ was unbeknownst to Levi. All the same, he focused on his own opponent and rushed him. The demon predicted Levi’s move and ducked under the blade that had nearly severed his head. Righting himself quickly, the hunter avoided a roundhouse kick that would have definitely broken a few ribs. Through the corner of his eye Levi saw the one thing he’d been anticipating and moved out of the way just in time. The demon’s tail came down harmlessly on air.

He and the demon had ultimately switched positions and continued their stare down. Levi knew he couldn’t attack as much as he wanted. Demons excelled in maintaining endurance which is what made them so hard to defeat. He had to plan his moves carefully and attempt to use the demon’s attacks against him.

“You think any of your fellow hunters are getting out of here alive,” the demon questioned menacingly. “You’ll all die painfully. I’ll make sure you watch the blood leave their conscious bodies before I put them out of their misery.”

The hunter forced himself to keep his expression blank, but it didn’t hide the fact that he was indeed rattled. Ordinarily he could shake off a comment like that. In part, he had. But this demon was very skilled, and very angry. Which made him unpredictable and a bigger threat than the lesser demons around them.

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” The demon took a playful step forward, tail whipping around behind him. Eren had started to take on another demon closer to Levi but looked too preoccupied to be of any help. A surprise attack could work in his favor right about now.

“Hardly,” Levi retorted and raised his dual daggers. “I just don’t like when people make promises they can’t keep.”

The demon laughed and took another exaggerated step forward. Levi followed suit, taking one step _back_ to maintain the distance between them. It was the only thing keeping him alive right now. “Oh trust me little hunter, I always keep my promises. Demon’s honor.”

He lifted one clawed hand up to his bare chest and carved a bloody X into the space above his heart. Levi bristled as the blood from the self inflicted wound ran down the creature’s stomach. All the same, the skin healed itself in a matter of seconds, the only evidence it had existed was the remaining bloody outline.

“Gross,” Levi muttered.

With that said, he moved quickly and efficiently, stepping to the side towards the demon’s flank but not jumping straight to attack either. The demon watched him with a calculated stare and shifted so his front was to Levi. The hunter was limited in terms of what he could do. He had his daggers and his training, but nothing that would help him long distance. His gun had long since been emptied of its bullets and was discarded somewhere among the carnage and demon corpses.

Deciding on improvising, which happened to be Eren’s most valuable skill, he flipped one of his daggers so he was pinching the tip of the blade. In one swift motion he cocked his arm back and flung it through the air. The demon tried to dodge the weapon but didn’t move quick enough. Instead of impaling itself in his heart, it jutted out of his right shoulder instead. The hoarse shout was enough to tell Levi the creature would be slowed down. When he reached up to pull the dagger out, he winced and snapped his hand down to his side.

“W-what the hell is this?” Pitch black iris’ bore through Levi’s steely blue ones, and a smirk graced his lips.

“You’ve heard of hunters but not silver daggers?”

The demon, while already remarkably pale, blanched further. “S-silver?” He glanced down at his now blistered hand. “How… inhumane.”

“If there’s a weakness, exploit it.” Levi shrugged. His other dagger was switched to his right hand as he started towards the demon. “Besides, inhumane doesn’t really apply to demons.”

It tried once more to pry the dagger from its shoulder, to no avail. He scrambled backwards but tripped over a chunk of broken wood previously belonging to a table. Landing ass first, he screamed when the dagger in his shoulder jolted upon impact. Seeming to psyche himself up for the pain, the demon clamped his hand down on the dagger and yanked it out with a pitiful yelp. It clattered to the floor at Levi’s feet, and the hunter bent down to snatch it up.

The demon’s hand smoked as if a fire had been extinguished in his palm. The skin was an intense red and blistered more around the fingers. That had to sting like a bitch. Levi stalked forward and raised both his daggers, no hesitation in his movements as he did so. The demon just sat there watching, his expression guarded and his body coiled tight. It wasn’t until Levi was nearly on top of him did he register the demon’s tail raising off the ground.

A body crashed into his and sent him sprawling to the ground away from the demon. His daggers miraculously stayed gripped in his hands, but that left his head unprotected from the ground. It cracked against the hard tile, making his ears ring and his stomach churn. He felt like vomiting.

Eren’s face loomed over his, the look on it a mix of worry, relief, and anger. “Shit! Are you alright Levi?”

Petra’s feminine voice came from behind the two collapsed hunters, and Levi figured she and Auruo were probably dispatching his earlier foe. Still feeling nauseous though, he ignored his surroundings and flipped over onto his stomach. If he was going to throw up everywhere he wasn’t going to be looking _up_ at _Eren_ of all people when he did.

“Levi? Come on, say something rude. You’re worrying me here.”

“You’re such… a pain in the ass…” he wheezed out.

Eren laughed, but it sounded strained. “Yeah but you love my ass. And I just saved yours, so how about a thank you?”

“Thought you wanted me to say something rude, not polite.” His voice cracked halfway through the sentence. Despite the raging concussion he was definitely sporting, he smiled into the crook of his arm.

“I actually don’t want you to say anything, it sounds like it’s taking years off your life to talk. Or maybe that’s the cigarettes you love more than me.”

“Eren!” Petra called over to him, and the brunet averted his attention away from Levi to face her. “We took care of the last one, but there may be more. We should head back to the Academy and get Levi checked out.”

“I’m fine,” he protested from his spot on the floor, but he was ignored all the same.

“Will do.” Eren started to push himself off the ground but winced as he moved his torso. “Shit…”

“What?” Levi rolled over and began pushing himself up as well, albeit much slower. The sharp pain that shot down his neck told him he probably shouldn’t have been moving at all.

“It’s nothing, just landed funny.” He got up the rest of the way, but the action seemed to leech all the color from his face. Or maybe it was the lighting inside? Or Levi’s blurry vision. He couldn’t really trust his senses right now. “Give me your hand.”

Levi complied, only because he was too fucked in the head to conjure up a comeback. That and, Eren looked as weary as Levi felt. They’d both need to be checked out by the doctors at the Academy when they got back. Maybe get some sick days out of it all. Levi relished the idea of getting to lounge around in bed with Eren for a few days. No demon hunting, no paperwork. Just the bliss of their king sized bed and sleeping in past seven o’clock for once.

And maybe sex, if Levi was coherent enough to initiate it.

Eren wrapped one of Levi’s arms around his neck to take on some of his weight, despite the pain it seemed to cause him to do so. His other arm was coiled tight around Levi’s waist as they walked towards the empty warehouse’s exit. Petra and Auruo were ahead of them, speaking about something Levi couldn’t make out due to the distance between them. He was glad they were alright- even Auruo, though the cocky bastard could stand to get knocked down a peg or two.

He and Eren made it as far as the threshold of the exit before Eren moaned, and his grip on Levi loosened. The shorter man fell from his grasp but managed to catch himself so his face didn’t merge with the concrete beneath them a second time.

“Oi, Eren, are you-” his voice got stuck in his throat as he stared up at his partner. Eren was deathly pale, the difference in complexion obvious to anyone who had previously seen his tan, sun kissed skin. Sweat was beading along his forehead, and his brow was drawn in confusion and pain. His knees buckled under him and he collapsed forward onto them, right next to Levi. After a split second, he fell to his side. Short, strained breaths were all Levi could hear from the man.

“Eren!” he yelled. Petra and Auruo spun around and were immediately rushing back to them once they saw Eren on the ground. Levi scrambled across the small space between them and clutched the other hunter’s arm. How had Levi not noticed how cold he felt when he was holding him?

The hunter in him knew what was wrong, but his brain was slow to catch up with the rational thinking. Remembering where Eren had experienced pain when sitting up earlier, Levi fumbled with the hem of his shirt. He tugged it up frantically but didn’t see what he was looking for. Auruo lowered himself so he was next to Levi and helped push Eren onto his side to take a look at his back. That was when they saw the culprit of his newfound condition.

Eren had been stung.

The wound was red, black, and fleshy in the center. It looked dirty but that just had to be the natural appearance of it, because save for a few bruises on his hip, Eren was unscathed and clean. The veins in the surrounding area were a dark purple, standing out against his near white skin.

Levi’s mind raced, trying to figure out when the hell he’d seen Eren anywhere near a demon’s ass. As far as he knew Eren had been more than careful about flanking the demon’s he fought tonight. His whole team had been. The only time a demon’s tail had posed a threat was when-

Was when Levi had been careless. When Eren had pushed him to the ground to save him. But they had still been too close to the demon, and in the end _someone_ would have gotten stung in that situation. It should have been _him_ . It was Levi’s mistake, and he knew the risks of being so careless. But Eren had pushed him out of the way and gotten stung in the process. He was _poisoned_.

Oh god.

He wasn’t going to survive.

“Fuck,” Auruo said. Over his shoulder Petra looked at Eren and drew in a sharp breath. Her eyes filled with unshed tears immediately, as if she knew there was nothing they could do. That it was pointless to hope that he would live through the poison disintegrating him from the inside. The thought snapped Levi out of his daze and he let Eren roll onto his back.

“No. Eren, come on. Look at me. You see me? Keep your eyes open, okay? Keep them open, it’ll be fine. You’ll be fine.” His shaky hands clasped Eren’s clammy cheeks. He could feel the tears building up in his own eyes, but he forced them back by sheer willpower. “Eren come _on!_ Don’t just lay there like Sleeping fucking Beauty!”

A weak laugh bubbled up from Eren’s chapped lips. He shifted his head from side to side, not necessarily shaking it, just moving it around. “If I’m Sleeping Beauty can you be the prince? I’d love a kiss from you.”

Levi pressed his lips to Eren’s, despite the fact he knew the brunet was joking. But Eren had to know what was happening. He was keeping up his wit and charm through the pain of the poison coursing through his veins. For _Levi’s_ benefit no doubt.

“Ah, see? All better. Don’t worry Levi, I’ll be okay.” His hand came up to clasp Levi’s slender wrist and pull his hand to his lips. A gentle, barely there kiss was pressed against his palm, cracking his resolve. The tears came and there was no amount of willpower or grit in the world that could keep them back.

“Fuck. Eren…” Levi’s voice cracked again. Petra was gathered up in Auruo’s arms now, crying at the earnest into his shirt. Her muffled sobs drew Eren’s attention, and through the haze of pain and his wavering strength, he reached towards her with his free hand.

“Hey, c’mon Petra. Stop. It’s alright. Don’t cry, Auruo isn’t a tissue.” She lifted her head from Auruo’s chest and pulled one of her delicate hands away from her chest. Threading her fingers through Eren’s, she started to cry all over again at how cold he felt.

“I-I’m so _sorry_ Eren, I didn’t know. I could have _helped_ , I could have _done something_ -” she broke off as she rambled the very thing Levi had been thinking. Only the guilt Levi felt was real. He knew this was his fault.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for Petra,” he blinked, and his eyes were hooded. “It happens, right? Just make sure you tell everyone I did a triple backflip or something before, okay?”

“God, that’s so like you…” Auruo murmured. His voice sounded hoarse, like he’d swallowed a handful of rocks. Eren smirked up at him before closing his eyes for a moment, exhaling through a tremor of pain that tensed his body. Levi could see the dark purple veins blossoming across the entirety of Eren’s torso.

Eren squeezed Levi’s hand with minimal strength. That action alone made more tears spill forth from Levi’s bleary eyes. “You’re perfect, you know?” Eren muttered.

“T-This is my fault- fuck. God, Eren, I’m so sorry. I should have been more careful, more- I don’t know. I should have watched what was hap-”

“Hey, hey, it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault. Don’t think that. It’s alright Levi. And you know what? I love you. I’ve always loved you and I always _will_ love you. I’m not sure if there’s a bright light or whatever but if there is then you can bet your ass I’ll be loving you from some cloud somewhere. Sound good?”

Eren’s hands had slipped up to grasp Levi’s cheeks, and with the last of his energy, he pulled the hunter towards him. The kiss was desperate, yet slow. Eren could taste Levi’s tears on his lips, and as he pulled away to gaze up at the only person he’d ever truly cared for, he knew it was okay. He was about to die, but he’d lived his life as best he could up until now. Levi had been a part of his life and practically become the center of it. There had been good times and bad times, but he was having a difficult time remembering the bad times right now.

He was having a hard time doing much of anything right now.

Eren’s hands slipped away from Levi’s face and fell to his sides as he struggled to take in another breath. Levi’s steely blue eyes widened in panic and searched Eren’s eyes. As if they held the solution to the problem. But they didn’t, and while Eren still had Levi’s eyes on him, he smiled.

And then he was gone.

When the last breath he’d taken slipped past his lips and his form stilled, Levi felt his entire being shatter. A scream that didn’t- _couldn’t_ contain all the anger, the sadness, and pain he felt inside, burst from his lips. He leaned back on his hunches and let scream after terrible scream fill the silence of the warehouse.

Only when his throat was raw and his head swimming in agony did he stop. Placing his head on Eren’s still chest was like a punch to the gut but comforting at the same time. How many times had they fallen asleep in each other’s arms like this? Three years was a long time to get to know somebody, and Levi knew how his body fit to Eren’s perfectly.

The sobs still came, but the tears didn’t. He’d cried himself dry. How much time had passed, he didn’t know. But a loud crash from somewhere within the warehouse had him jerking upright and wincing from the pain that flared in his head.

“Shit, more demons.” Auruo grit out through clenched teeth. Since he was mostly unscathed Levi was sure he could cover their retreat back to the SUV. Just long enough to get Eren-

“We need to move. Now.” Petra said, eyes still bloodshot from crying, but she collected her bearings as quick as she could.

“Wait. What about Eren?” Levi asked incredulously. The two hunters above him looked at each other, but only for a split second. Footsteps and inhuman growls had them moving to grab Levi and high tail it out of there before he could register what was happening. “Wait! We can’t just leave him there!”

“I’m sorry, Levi.” Petra was crying again, but she kept moving. Together she and Auruo carried Levi, kicking and cursing, out of the warehouse. The whole time they ran Levi had his head craned back to look at Eren’s body. He couldn’t see the demons, but he knew they were there.

There with Eren.

Levi felt numb as Petra helped him into the backseat and Auruo started the car. The screeching of the tires did nothing to snap him out of his stupor, nor did Petra’s apologies. He stared at his hands. They were covered in blood and grime. Never had he wanted to wash them so bad.

The three drove on towards the Academy. Levi never looked back. Not that there was much merit to doing so anyways, but he kept his gaze trained forward as they drove away. Away from the warehouse.

And away from the only shred of happiness he’d ever had in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being a veteran of the system doesn't mean you get to take it easy. Ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two years later...

It didn’t matter how many complaints Dean Smith got from students about Levi’s teaching methods; he still made Levi teach. According to him, Levi’s skill was “invaluable” and could “offer the students more insight into field work”, making him the perfect person to teach combat class.

Yeah, right. A load of bull, that’s what that was.

It was nine in the morning and Levi did _not_ want to be here. There was a shower and a cup of tea waiting for him in his apartment, away from the sweaty and hormonal teenagers. The majority of the class had just come from a Demon Anatomy 101 test which meant the brats were restless. Which meant they talked incessantly through Levi’s explanation of dagger mechanics.

Naturally, the whole class was made to run laps as a result. He didn’t have the patience to deal with this. Especially not everyday. He prefered field work to teaching inexperienced _kids_. At least out in the field he could kill demons. Here, he had to settle for punching the shit out of a training dummy if he felt like murdering someone.

Levi saw the same redhead who had been talking earlier pass by him again. His cheeks were a brilliant shade of lobster, matching his hair which was plastered to his face with sweat. Looking around at the remaining students, he saw they were all in a similar state.

With any luck, this meant they were too worn out to talk anymore.

Levi blew into the whistle that hung around his neck, signaling for the kids to stop. He rallied them all towards the edge of the training mats and didn’t bother telling them to stay standing. They all knew Levi’s general approach to them being tired was to make them deal with it. Sure, they were tired, but that didn’t mean he was going to let them lounge around. Especially after they’d pissed him off so early into class.

Heading over to one of the training dummy's, he dragged it into place before the students with one arm. It’s weight was barely an issue for him, a sign of many years of dedicated training. His dual daggers were sheathed in the thigh garter that wrapped around his cargo pants. For ‘training’s sake, he wore fingerless gloves that itched more than they helped avoid slicing open a hand. No gun today, due to Erwin’s rather stern reminder that while the training dummy's were _dummy's_ , it still cost a lot of money to fix a bullet hole in one of their fleshy heads.

Once the students were attentive enough for Levi to begin, he unsheathed one of his daggers and expertly flipped it in his hand. “You would all, without a doubt, end up killing yourselves with a dagger the second it was placed in your hands.”

Insolent remarks came and went in a matter of seconds at Levi’s statement. He continued, “You all know silver is a demon’s weakness. I’m shit with science or magic or whatever it is that makes them prone to simple death involving silver, but what’s important is that it kills them.”

Twirling the dagger in his hands one last time, he slammed it into the dummy’s chest up to the hilt. A few gasps could be heard in the crowd of students, as well as a few impressed, low whistles. Levi didn’t need to look to see he’d hit the dummy directly where it’s heart would be. Nonchalantly, he gestured at it and said “It’s also important that you know _where_ to attack a demon. A little nik in the stomach won’t do anything. It’ll be more like a mosquito bite than it will be anything fatal.”

A hand shot up in the crowd, and Levi nodded in acknowledgement. A female student with blonde hair spoke up. “In Demon Anatomy we learned that being stabbed with silver is fatal anywhere on a demon’s body.”

Levi nodded again, understanding the implied question. “Technically, yes. Stab a demon in the leg with a silver dagger and leave the dagger there? Maybe one or two hours of prolonged pain before they’d succumb to the effects of the silver. Hunters don’t have hours to spare on killing these things slowly. So we always aim for two places; the heart and the neck.”

“A direct hit to the heart will kill a demon instantly. Done deal. If you aim for the neck, however, it needs to be executed in the form of decapitation. I’d imagine getting stabbed straight through the neck is about as shitty as a slow death comes, but like I said, hunters don’t have time to pull out popcorn and watch demon’s croak.”

After a few more minutes of explaining the fundamentals of a silver dagger’s weight and briefing the class on how to shift it in your hand, he instructed two kids to drag a large chest along the side of the room over to him. Opening the latch revealed dozens of dull, wooden daggers for the class to practice with. There were only a few complaints from students who were more than keen on the idea of using the real things, but Levi shut them up with a few choice words.

“Use the tactics we covered last week to disarm your partner. Then incorporate a decapitation or a heart strike into a take down.”

Half the time when Levi was teaching combat class, he had no idea if he even made sense. Fighting was something he’d learned at the Academy, sure, but years of work in the field had allowed him to sort of… perfect his fighting abilities. He had a fighting style and a way of doing things that were unconventional and certainly not the normal way things were taught. When he was forced to play teacher for the students, he sort of dumbed everything he knew down. So far it seemed to work. At least, after a few trial and error runs it did.

The kids started practicing on one another, the sounds of bodies hitting training mats echoing off the walls of the massive gymnasium. Levi walked up and down the spaces between students, stopping to correct someone’s form or grip. The whole ordeal was mostly second nature at this point, considering he’d been stuck doing it for two years now.

But no matter how many kids he taught, and no matter how much potential they might have, Levi had _still_ never met a hunter more skilled than Eren.

He bristled at the memory of his name and forced himself to focus on the readhead kid and his partner. Ten more minutes passed before the sound of the door opening reached his ears. Thankfully, his class knew better than to stop training. Levi made his way through the mass of takedowns and wooden daggers to find Petra standing in the doorway.

Last he’d seen her was when she left for a field mission four days ago. Their usual Friday night dinner plans had to be canceled because of it. She smiled and started towards him, and he took note of her casual clothing. Jeans and a white t-shirt. A rarity to see on anyone in the Academy.

“I just got back and heard the anguished cries from outside. Figured it was you teaching the students today.”

He snorted and looked over his shoulder before walking past her and out the gym doors. She followed him and leaned against the wall as Levi searched through his pockets for his cigarettes. He lit one up and tilted his head back against the door, pleased to be away from the youth inside.

“How was everything?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.

“It was fine. There were a few demons along the way, which was expected, but we took care of them. Only one mortal got killed.”

Only one mortal died at the hands of bloodthirsty demons? “Impressive.”

She nodded in agreement. “Erwin called us back because there are reports of a large nest towards the center of the city. Apparently a bunch of people have gone missing and two have shown up dead. ‘Torn to shreds’ if I’m remembering the description correctly.”

A nest? He searched Petra’s face for any kind of hesitation or fear but found none. As always, she put her duty before her personal feelings, whatever they may be. “I see. Good luck then.”

“Levi,” her voice made him halt his movements, his cigarette only halfway to his lips. “Erwin wanted me to ask… if you’d come with us. I know it doesn’t sound that bad at first, but it’s really serious. We could use all the help we can get.”

Working a muscle in his jaw, he nodded before taking a drag of his cigarette. “Alright. Tell me when we leave. I’ll ask Hanji to cover combat class.”

“She’s coming with us too, but Nanaba will be here. She can do it. But… Levi, you’re sure? I can tell Erwin some excuse if you don’t want to go, I completely understand. Mike would be more than able to go in your place if-”

“I’m not a fucking china doll Petra,” he snapped, effectively silencing her. “It’s not like I’ve been rocking in fetal and avoiding doing my damn job for the past two years. It’s fine. _I’m_ fine.”

“I know,” she pressed her palms to her eyes to collect herself. “I know. I should have more confidence in you. I’m sorry. I just worry.”

Part of him wanted to apologize to her. After all, she’d just been thinking of his well being. But this wasn’t the first time she had tried to coddle him like this. It had been two years since Eren’s death and he was more than capable of killing demons. If anything, he had more incentive to leave the Academy grounds to help other hunters. He’d lost his boyfriend, not his reputation.

Finishing his cigarette in silence, he ground it under the heel of his boot before casting another look at Petra. Her head was tipped back against the wall and her eyes were closed. She looked… defeated. No, more like tired. Levi knew she never stopped working. Without a word he slipped back inside the gymnasium, glad to see that the students had continued their training in his absence.

The rest of the day was uneventful. After combat class, the students went to lunch and Levi being who he was, went home to shower. His apartment was barely a five minute walk away from the Academy. All hunters who graduated and didn’t want to live on campus had to be sure to live somewhere closeby in case of emergencies.

So he and Eren had decided to save on expenses and just buy a place together. They didn’t have a problem with it, due to their relationship, so everything had worked out.

Now the place seemed too big to Levi. Eren’s obnoxious singing and dancing in the kitchen and living room every night had filled the place with lively energy and more than a few laughs. Levi only ever went into the kitchen to cook food and make tea, and the living room was a place for him to take naps. The TV sat idle in the corner of the room, rarely used, and the sliding door leading to the balcony was the only thing that experienced any form of attention. Levi went out there to smoke more often than not.

After a fairly long, fifteen minute shower, Levi was on said balcony working through his second cigarette of the day. It was half past one and he was finished teaching classes for the day, which he was grateful for. He’d received a text from Petra telling him they would be leaving late- close to ten o’clock so they could avoid the human crowds that made demon hunting in the city rather difficult.

It would no doubt _still_ be difficult, but he was glad to get away from the Academy for a while.

From the balcony he could see the roof of the Academy’s dorm building. It was the largest one on campus, housing all the students and a few faculty members who actually had the tolerance to _live_ in a place like that. Levi could actually make out the dorm he’d used to live in from his own apartment. Eren’s dorm room had been right next to his, the younger man’s constant video gaming and partying driving Levi mad before he figured out he genuinely liked the brat.

_“You want what?” Levi asked incredulously. It was three in the morning and he had just_ barely _managed to fall asleep. He felt as unrested as he had before he’d winked off for what felt like five minutes._

_“I know it’s random. We rarely talk and you kinda kicked my ass in combat class last week, but I can’t sleep in there.” He inclined his head to the left, indirectly pointing to his own room next door. “There’s like, seven people passed out drunk and half of them snore.”_

_Either Levi’s head was positively swimming with exhaustion and he was hallucinating this conversation or Eren was serious. “You want to sleep in my room?”_

_Teal eyes practically glowed against the darkness of the hallway. The lights had long since been turned off, but it was like he had bulbs planted inside his head or something. “Uh, yeah. I said that right? Please?”_

_The dorms here were actually a pretty decent size. There was a fairly large bathroom in each one, as well as a small kitchen that consisted of a stove/oven, microwave, and fridge. The beds were typically queen sized, but there was also a couch by the TV in the living room that was big enough for most anyone to sleep on._

_For some reason, Levi was positive that if it were anyone else at his door, he’d be turning them away with a string of profanities trailing behind them. But here was Eren Jaeger, a hunter-in-training Levi actually recognized, looking more genuine than anyone ever had while speaking to him. And all because he was asking to crash in Levi’s room of all things._

_He should turn him away, that was his first thought. But he didn’t. Of course he didn’t. Whether it was the damn sincerity in this kids lightbulb eyes or the fact that Levi was sure having one person stay in his room wouldn’t affect his sleep, he didn’t know._

_His answer lay in the fact that he pulled the door open a bit further for Eren to enter. A wide smile spread across his face, making his eyes seemingly glow more, as if that was possible. The two said nothing as Eren walked inside and Levi closed the door behind him before making sure no one was watching the entire scene from the hallway. Not that he cared if anyone saw; students getting together was normal, regardless of gender. Plus, he’d be lying if he said Eren wasn’t a looker. There were worse people to be mistakenly paired with._

_“You can take the couch. There’s an afghan on it already. If you want another pillow you can take one of the ones from my bed.” Levi strode across the spacious dorm towards his bed, assuming their conversation was over._

_Eren turned to look at him over his shoulder. “Can’t I sleep on your bed with you?”_

_Levi paused with his hand on his comforter and turned narrow eyes back at the other man standing in his room. Eren was smirking, and in the barely there moonlight shining through the window, his skin looked impossibly golden. His hair was slightly disheveled from partying next door but he pulled it off._

_Oh Christ, he pulled it off_ good _._

_“Funny,” Levi murmured. “I can throw you out anytime. Remember that.”_

_Eren’s smirk stayed in place as he gave a mock salute. “Of course. Thanks for the hospitality.”_

The memory tugged at Levi’s lips, which were wrapped around his cigarette once again. Many nights following the first, Eren came around to Levi’s room. Sometimes with movies, other times with food. He’d cook for Levi and vice versa, and surprisingly Levi didn’t questioned it much. He enjoyed Eren’s company and the kid knew how to cook. The two would watch movies in Levi’s dorm since his TV worked better than Eren’s. The latter’s TV was plugged to hell with wires and game consoles that the two would play when they weren’t in Levi’s dorm.

Six months was all it took for Levi to realize he liked Eren. More than surprising; happy go-lucky Eren liked bitter, unapproachable him.

Fast forward another six months and the two had graduated. Since they were dating and use to sharing an enclosed space, they bought the apartment together. Using the stipend the Academy gave to its graduates to help pay for expenses, they bought new furniture, decor, the works. Through demon hunting work, they made more money. It was like a normal job, save for the other worldly beings that threatened the safety of mortals they were tasked with killing.

The white picket fence bullshit was never guaranteed, and Levi knew that. He’d accepted it a long time ago, finally understood that acceptance after Eren died. But it still sucked to remember the past. To imagine the ‘what if’s and the ‘maybe’s.

Levi finished his cigarette and popped the butt end of it into the ashtray on the railing. He figured if there was a group of hunters heading into the city tonight, there was most likely a plan that would have to be briefed beforehand. Heading inside, he snatched his jacket off the couch and locked up before making his way back to the Academy. He passed numerous hunters coming and going, considering the entire four block radius the campus took up. Many of them wore casual clothes, presumably enjoying a day off from classes if their schedules so determined it.

It was hard to explain how any hunter could tell if there was another in the same room or vacinity as them. It was a sort of… gut feeling. It was like looking at someone with black hair and someone with blond hair. It was plain to Levi that one person had black hair and the other had blond. The same could be said for hunters and their ability to pick one another out of a crowd.

What set hunters apart from humans was that humans were blind to the dark magic that consumed a large portion of the world. Hunters were essentially humans born with the ability to see through the dark magic. It was a skill that defined a hunter, and tended to reveal demons and just shitty things in general. Demonic auras could be seen to hunters as well, which made them distinguishable. As opposed to humans, who just got caught up in the charm and draw that all demons had.

Auras were a nasty piece of work, though. Hunters could actually _see_ auras. It wasn’t just a sensation or bad feeling they would get around a demon. No, auras rolled off of demons in waves. Waves of power that could determine how weak of strong a demon was. They were dark in coloring and had a tendency to make anyones stomach flip if they were around it too much.

The only demon that Levi had ever had a difficult time with due to its aura was a demon he fought the same night Eren died. Not the one that… that killed him, but it was one of the creatures that had been inside the warehouse. If he recalled correctly, it had been the combined effort of him and Eren that had taken it down. As per usual though, the only thing he could remember _specifically_ about that demon (besides its aura) was how Eren wouldn’t shut up while fighting it.

Typical.

Kids were studying all around the campus. Many were huddled in groups together on the grass with massive textbooks pulled out in front of them. No doubt studying for Demon Anatomy or something equally boring. He watched as two kids performed a seemingly flawless takedown in front of their friends, but he saw a stance error that cost one kid his short lived victory. Down they both went in a series of curses and shrill laughs. Levi continued on.

When he reached the main building Erwin’s office was located in, he was greeted with the sight of a handful of new, younger students milling around the lobby. A taller woman with glasses was gesturing wildly to the masses, and Levi groaned as soon as she spotted him at the entrance.

“Ah! Levi! Come here, you’ve got to meet the newbies!”

Said newbies turned heads to stare at him. A few gaped, clearly recognizing him by name or appearance. Others looked wary. If his expression was anything to go by, he didn’t blame them. “I’ve got shit to do Hanji. Entertain them by yourself.”

“Awh c’mon! Don’t be a downer. I built up your reputation when I showed them the combat class earlier and Mike was teaching. I did you a favor! It’ll all go down the drain if you don’t say hi.”

Levi considered ignoring her pleas entirely. Briefing the upcoming mission into the city was definitely more important, but he also had hours to kill before he had to leave. And if Hanji was showing around new kids when she was going that night as well, he figured she wouldn’t let him slip away using the mission as an excuse.

The group of kids parted around him as if he were Moses himself as he strode up to Hanji. She beamed at him and clapped him on the shoulder, squeezing tight afterwards. “There ya go! As you all know, this is Levi Ackerman. He trains combat class when he isn’t smoking himself to death in a tree like a secluded jungle man.”

“Do you think you’re funny or something?” He shrugged her hand off, but she ignored his comment and continued.

“He’s by far the best hunter on campus. And a great teacher. But you’d all end up dead if you had him as an instructor your first day here.” More one sided laughter burst from Hanji’s mouth while the new students looked on in horror. “That’s why we pass you all off to new graduates who want to teach. They have youthful passion and patience to instruct you guys.”

Tired already of her antics, Levi broke away from Hanji’s overwhelming presence and started for the elevator on the opposite side of the room. “There’s bound to be a briefing for tonight, four eyes. Don’t linger here.”

Hanji called out an agreement and immediately afterwards a student asked what was happening ‘tonight’. Que storytime from Hanji, and Levi was glad to be leaving. If anyone at the Academy had the chipper attitude and willpower to deal with kids, it was her.

Unfortunately for Levi, teaching morning classes and having the afternoon free meant helping Erwin with the influx of new student paperwork. Ordinarily Levi would have just weaseled his way out of it with some blatant lie but not given a shit because Erwin knew him well enough not to force him to work. But _Dean Smith_ put on his work face and requested Levi’s help anyways.

“You were coming up here to talk about the mission tonight? The mission not for another seven hours? You have time to help me sort through this, Levi.”

Thus, he had spent the better part of his afternoon filing papers. Putting student information into alphabetical order was much harder when half the information was already filed away.

By the time they finished it was six o’clock. The top floor of the main building had grown quiet, and he guessed it was because everyone was eating. He knew he should too, especially if he’d be moving around and fighting later. However he could only bring himself to steal from Erwin’s scotch stash behind his desk and kick back in one of the chairs.

“Petra is worried about you, you know.” Erwin said from his seat. He pursed his lips before bringing his own drink to his lips.

Levi scowled and contemplated not answering. He’d already spoken with Petra earlier that day and she had made her feelings perfectly clear. No doubt Erwin had waited until Levi was halfway through his second drink of the night to avoid getting knocked out his office window. Damn conniving bastard.

“She has no reason to be,” Levi said simply. In one motion he downed the rest of his drink and set the empty glass on the desk.

“You know that isn’t true. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit concerned too. Maybe everyone is?”

“Then everyone needs to learn how to mind their own damn business.”

That warranted a chuckle from the Dean. “When they’re not killing demons they’re gossiping. It’s an eventful life.”

This time Levi said nothing. A few minutes passed before Erwin spoke again, doing so after he took another sip of his scotch. “You can’t deny that you changed after Eren died, Levi. You were always unapproachable but you’re more than secluded now. No friends, because I seriously doubt Hanji or myself count in your eyes. I know you eat with Petra Friday nights, but it seems more like a chore for you based on what she tells me. And when was the last time you spoke to Auruo?”

Levi was clenching his jaw so tight he was positive some of his teeth would shatter. Why couldn’t these people just leave him alone? Didn’t they always say people had their own way of coping with loss? He had coped with it the only way he knew how- _alone._ He didn’t need anyone to hold his hand through the grieving process. And he wasn’t even going through the grieving process anymore! He was done! He knew Eren was dead- gone, whatever. He’d accepted it. There was no beating around the bush with that fact. And sure, he was still rocking an intense case of survivor’s guilt. But who wouldn’t after something that fucked happened?

God, he wanted to hit something. _Someone_.

“Levi, you need to get your head out of the sand. I don’t expect you to go back to how you were before he died, but you need to be alert. Not an impassive mummy. Other hunters are going to be looking to you for help from now on and they can’t learn how to be the best that they can be when you’re brooding and closed off.”

“Who the hell asked _me_ if I wanted some shitty brats learning how to be ‘the best’ from me, huh?! I’m not the best. Maybe I was, but not anymore. I don’t know why the fuck you’re all so intent on building me up to be some hero but you’re better off just knocking it the fuck off while you’re ahead. I have nothing to prove to you or anyone out there.” He heaved a sigh and stood up from his chair. “I’ll kill demons. It’s what I’m good at, and I don’t have to be a happy go-lucky ray of fucking sunshine to do it.”

A knock at the door cut Erwin off before he could say anything. Mike’s shaggy head of blond hair peeked through the crack in the door and he eyed the two men blank faced. “We’re readying the brief for tonight in the conference room. Whenever you’re ready, Erwin.”

 

***

 

All three men walked to the conference room in silence. Something told Levi that Mike had heard a good portion of what they’d been talking about before walking in, because he looked just as tense as Erwin. Some sick twisted part of Levi was glad that he was making both the giants next to him uncomfortable. It meant they’d get off his case for however long their nerves would allow.

As soon as he walked into the conference room, however, all the events from before vanished from his mind. He psyched himself up to be level headed and prepared for whatever this briefing would include. Plus, there were a lot more hunters in the room than he’d anticipated. It made him think this was more serious than Petra or Erwin had let on originally.

“Thank you all for getting here so quickly. We’ve got a lot to go over and only an hour before we leave.” Erwin started, in his usual ‘I’m-in-charge’ voice.

Glancing at the clock though, Levi realized it was only seven o’clock. The group would be leaving an entire two hours ahead of schedule.

“For starters, I should let you all know that these reports regarding the nest in the city are more severe than we’ve let on. Another group of hunters left a few days ago to attempt to remedy the situation there, but we lost more hunters than we have in a while.”

Levi’s steely grey eyes flicked over to Petra, remembering that she’d left on a job four days prior. But her debrief of the mission was nonchalant; nothing had seemed wrong. Had she lied?

Sensing his eyes on her, Petra looked away from Erwin and at Levi, pursing her lips. Her brows furrowed, and Levi knew straight away that she _had_ lied. She’d been with the first group. No doubt Erwin had told her to keep quiet about the severity of the situation, though for what reason, Levi had no fucking clue. He looked away from the woman, working the muscle in his jaw to the point where it was popping.

“Those that returned that are well enough to continue to fight will be going tonight. We will be breaking all of you up into three teams. Petra will be leading Team Alpha. Levi will be leading Team Beta. Lastly, Hanji is leading Team Omega. Team Beta will focus on drawing out the demons from where we believe the majority of them are hiding. Team Alpha will move to eliminate these demons, and Team Omega will converge on any open flanks to assist in elimination.”

Erwin eyed the three chosen captains, though his eyes lingered longer on Levi before pulling a rolled map out from under the table. Mike stepped forward to keep one side of the map pinned down while Erwin kept his hands on the other side. “I’ve marked where the most frequent sightings have been in the past few days. The assumed nest is in the center of all these coupled locations, so you’ll all have to devise a way to cut through the streets and take out as many demons as you can on the way to the center.”

Three maps were handed out to the captains, and Erwin kept the original for himself so he could keep tabs on the other hunters as they reported back. “There are bound to be more than any of us are used to, but so long as you stay with your teams and move cautiously, we’ll be back before morning.”

Murmurs and grunts of affirmation followed Erwin’s encouragement. Hanji left with her team, as did Petra. Levi stayed to review the map one more time before rolling it up and ordering his team to move out. Petra’s team was the largest, consisting of nearly twenty hunters. Hanji’s was about ten, and Levi’s own Team Beta had sixteen. All three squads made their way down to the parking garage where the Academy’s vehicles were stored. Petra claimed two vans for her team, as did Levi. Hanji took one of the bigger vans, insistent that everyone could fit.

Levi assigned driving duties for the second van to another hunter on his team, then started up his own vehicle once half the team was inside. The drive to the center of the city didn’t take long, and there were less vehicles on the road than he’d expected. It wasn’t late, but it wasn’t really early either. The remaining bits of light outside were tinged pink and fading quickly.

Once the hunters reached downtown, Erwin stuck his arm out of the van’s window to signal the break off. His van along with Petra’s team turned left, planning on going around the nest’s central location to hide in waiting. Levi’s team continued straight down the main road. They would leave the vans a few blocks away from where they needed to be, then continue on foot. Hanji’s team followed behind Levi’s, though he already knew they would be taking a right soon enough to plot their own course.

By the time Team Beta reached the seemingly deserted street just blocks away from the nest, the light had almost disappeared completely from the sky. Tiny, barely there shadows were the only evidence the sun was still out. Levi instructed the second van to park across the street from the first, then gathered everyone from the first to ready their weapons. Guns were loaded, silver daggers holstered, then when the second half of his group arrived to do the same, it was time to move.

“Everyone is aware of the plan?” He waited for the nods and grunts of affirmation, then continued. “We move quickly and quietly. I want eyes watching our flank at all times and the center group ready to fight front or back no matter what.”

A series of ‘yes sir’s were delivered, then Levi was moving forward through the dimly lit streets toward their destination. Around the halfway point the automatic streetlights came on, startling a good portion of his team. He held up a fist, halting everyone behind him, then unsheathed his daggers. It was routine to carry them anyways, but with the sun setting and the nest as close as it was he knew demons would be getting ballsy.

“Sir?” asked one hunter behind Levi. He didn’t recognize the voice, and casting a look over his shoulder didn’t help him place a name to the face.

“You’re supposed to be quiet,” he said matter-of-factly, continuing forward.

“I know, sorry sir. But how large can these demon nests be? I’ve never seen one before and…” he trailed off, voice slowly becoming inaudible and telling Levi all he needed to know.

“You’re afraid.”

The hunter swallowed and nodded, daggers gripped tight enough for his knuckles to blanch white. “I think it’s pointless to pretend otherwise sir.”

“You’re not wrong. Just keep your head on straight and don’t do anything reckless. Don’t play hero. You’ll be fine.” A tight feeling blossomed in Levi’s chest, remembering all too well what playing hero resulted in. Thankfully the hunter didn’t press the issue further and allowed Levi to lead his team down the street in relative silence. By the time they reached the nest, the feeling that had started in Levi’s chest had seemingly spread to his arms.

He willed his limbs to relax and quit fucking shaking, but it was like he had no control over his body.

“Captain?” asked a different hunter. A girl with shoulder length blonde hair and brown eyes eyed him warily. “Are you alright? We’re here.”

He nodded and shifted his daggers in his hands. Directly ahead was a large office building. A few of the bottom windows were shattered, broken glass littering the ground beneath them. Even though the streetlights illuminated the road, the entire front of the building looked like it was cast in shadow. Almost as if he could shine a light directly at the door and it wouldn’t show.

“Anybody else sense it too?” asked someone behind Levi, and he nodded.

“It’s the aura coming off this place. You can practically see it.” He didn’t have to say anything else, considering everyone had to be thinking it. With how thick the air was, how abnormally silent the area in total was, it had to be a massive nest.

He wondered how truly prepared his team was for this. How prepared _he_ was.

Tugging his phone out of his pocket, he sent Hanji and Petra quick texts telling them that he was in place outside. Petra replied quickly, telling him she was ready behind the building with her team. Hanji let both Captains know her team was divided into two groups on either side of the nest. Essentially, they had the entire place surrounded. Their numbers were decent, they had the element of surprise, and yet Levi still hesitated to move forward. Something about this entire plan had him wanting nothing more than to just leave.

_The hell Ackerman, get your head out of your ass,_ he thought to himself. He hadn’t dealt with a nest since Eren’s death, but he’d fought demons. This was no different than the standard scouting jobs he’d done his entire life. This time there were just more demons than normal. And an unnatural desire to abandon his duty and go home.

Was Petra right? Should he have stayed at the Academy and let Mike take his place? He had every reason to want to stay as far away from nests as possible. After Eren’s death he’d spoken to a therapist at Hanji’s insistence and had been informed he might experience symptoms of PTSD down the line. He’d chocked it all up to survivor's guilt and continued on with his life as best he could. Being faced with a nest now brought back all the memories he’d suppressed since Eren’s death and was manifesting in the form of some sort of panic attack.

Of all the times for his brain to start tripping him out, it was happening now? Ten feet from the entrance of the nest with sixteen hunters looking to him for instruction. He had to get it together.

Erwin’s name illuminated the screen of his phone and told all three Captains he was in position in the surveillance van a block away. With him stationed nearby and the van’s signal up and running, Levi took the tiny earpiece out of his pocket and put it in his ear. Sure enough, he already heard Petra talking.

“The aura is insane Erwin. It’s so dark no light is touching the building at all.”

“Be careful above all else. Protect your teams and relay any information if things go south. We already have enough funeral pyres to build; don’t add to it.”

“Of course Erwin,” Petra said. Her voice held no hesitation, and she went silent on her end immediately after.

Levi knew she had to be scared to an extent, but she clearly wasn’t letting it control her. Taking another deep breath through his nose, he righted his daggers and started forward towards the entrance of the building. His team took formation behind him, knowing what to do without him having to tell them. They moved silently, and when everyone was close enough to the building to touch it, they waited for Levi’s word.

He moved to the door, noticing right away that it was already open. Pushing it back further resulted in the hinges squeaking, startling the majority of his hunters. He paused before stepping through the doorway, fist raised so everyone knew to hold until he said it was safe to approach.

In the spur of the moment Levi realized how ironic the situation was. Out of everyone on this mission, he was the one taking the first risk. The one person in the worst shape currently was the one everyone had to put their trust in to get the job rolling.

Levi _needed_ to be okay for this. It wasn’t a choice. Sixteen lives were resting in his hands.

The interior of the building was even worse than the exterior. If he’d thought it was dark outside, inside was nearly pitch black. The foul smell of demons permeated the air. Then there was the air itself, which was so thick he thought he could barely breath. Directly ahead he saw a desk with a broken company logo behind it. Whatever it had once said was now unrecognizable. Levi moved on.

The waiting area to the left of the main entrance was empty, save for chairs and benches and a few potted plants. To the right was a small cafe with tiny tables littering the eating area. Broken glass and dust were the only things Levi could make out from a distance on top of the tables, but upon closer inspection he noticed something else that made the hair on his arms stand on end.

There was a handprint in the center of one table. Deep scratches led from one end of the table straight to where the nails would rest on the hand that left the mark. Levi stepped back to move to the entrance and signal for his team to enter. The bottom level was clear for now and they could begin moving up to flush out the demons.

As soon as he turned away from the table, a glass shattered somewhere behind the counter in the cafe. Jumping back was difficult, considering he rammed his leg into another table, but he ignored the flare of pain in his thigh and raised his daggers. It was difficult to see anything beyond the counter, the aura was so heavy. So instead of moving in solo, he backed up until he was close enough to the door for his team to hear the signal. A quick whistle brought Team Beta through the entrance, and Levi hated how relieved he felt at having more people with him.

“There’s something in the cafe,” he said to the group. “Split up. One half search the left side, the other come right with me to get a closer look in the cafe.”

The hunters followed the orders silently. Levi started back towards the cafe without checking to see who was following him, but the sound of boots on glass told him he had his backup.

The hunters dispersed behind him, swerving between the tables he had previously run into and cautiously approached every dark corner they could find. One girl eyed the handprint Levi had spotted earlier and inhaled sharply. Fear was everyone’s worst enemy right now, and Levi wanted to make sure no one would succumb to that before the actual threat presented itself.

When he reached the counter of the cafe, he looked over before hopping up and jumping down. He landed on a laminated menu that was also covered in a heaping layer of dust. Another hunter climbed over with him and eyed the object, bending down to swipe her finger across it’s surface.

“How long has this place been empty?” she asked.

Levi turned as he surveyed the entire back area of the cafe, spotting a door leading into the kitchen. “When demons move in they bring their filth with them. This place could have been empty for a few weeks at most and still gotten this way in the span of a couple days.”

“Is that what the smell is? All the dust?” Levi could hear the disgust in her voice, remembering how unprepared he was for the stench of demons the first time he’d encountered a large group of them.

“That’s just the demons. The more of them there are, the worse it is.” With much less hesitation than before when he was alone inside, he marched straight up to the door leading into the kitchen and pushed it open. He was getting really fed up with not being able to see anything, but his eyes had adjusted a bit more to the darkness, allowing him to make out the shapes of the shelves inside the kitchen and scattered boxes.

Levi tugged his phone out of his pocket again and turned on the flashlight, trying to be as sure as possible that there was no demon hiding in wait. He’d definitely heard glass break. There was definitely something down here- or _had_ been something down here with him. The light offered by his phone did little to help him, but he was able to search the kitchen fully and found nothing.

“Captain,” the same hunter from earlier called him over in a hushed voice. “Are we clear to move on to the second floor?”

Levi nodded and stayed put as his team moved up the stairwell to relay the all clear to Erwin. “There’s nothing in the first floor. Not now, anyways.”

“What is that supposed to mean? Be specific Levi, we’re in deep here.”

“I heard something break in the cafe when I was walking through alone. There’s nothing there now. We’re moving up to the second floor, I’ll let you know when we hit ground zero.”

Erwin gave an affirmative grunt before adding, “Levi? Be careful.”

There wasn’t much Levi could say to that, knowing full well the context behind the comment. Instead he turned down the earpiece and started up the staircase behind his team. They knew what to do when they spilled out into the second floor, so when Levi arrived they were already working. Searching the dark corners, inspecting every shred of evidence pointing to demons, and all the while daggers were never lowered.

The suspense was killing everyone. For Levi it was less like suspense and more like a sense of dread that had steadily built since arriving. He did his best to shake it off and continued helping Team Beta scour every nook and cranny of the office building. Afterwards when they had finished and began heading upstairs, Hanji voiced the very thing Levi had thought of just seconds prior.

“It makes no sense,” her voice was low in his earpiece, even turned up. “The aura… it’s so strong and yet there hasn’t been any activity.”

Levi watched as the members of his team entered the stairwell to search the third floor. “The bastards probably know we’re here by now. They’re all hiding on the top floors.”

“I don’t know,” she admitted warily. “Demon’s are vicious creatures by nature. They aren’t known for sitting on their hands and waiting. Prideful by nature. They would have done something by now, especially considering it’s a nest.”

“We can’t worry about the what if’s right now. They’re definitely here and that’s what matters. There’s four more floors to check so be ready.”

Levi took the rear guard again and made sure to watch carefully. Through the increasingly thick aura in the stairwell it was hard to see anything in front of him. He heard the door to the third floor open and the hunters shuffle through. When he walked out he was surprised to see that the third floor was the cleanest of all they had searched so far. The first was by far the messiest, and the second had looked like every scrap of paper in the building had been tossed around like confetti. This time it was remarkably clean, save for the fine layer of dust that covered everything.

“It doesn’t look like any demon or human has been on the third floor,” he reported through his earpiece.

“Stay on your toes. That’s too bizarre to brush off,” was Erwin’s gruff reply.

Levi searched a small room with printers and copy machines, checking under the tables there and in the tiny storage closet attached. It was filled with unused packs of printer paper and spare writing equipment like pens and pencils. Even those things were lined up nicely along the shelves as if someone with OCD had been instructed to clean everything.

When he walked out he stopped, realizing half his group was abnormally silent. The group that was still searching up and down the walkways of cubicles hadn’t noticed yet. Levi straightened and gripped his daggers tighter in his hands, moving forward ever so slowly to peer around the corner into the second half of the third floor.

As usual it was too dark to see anything, which frustrated him to no end. This wasn’t good. Where was his fucking team?

“Regroup,” he called out calmly. He heard the shuffle of feet and daggers knocking together from the side of the room that still had members of Team Beta in it. But in front of Levi he heard nothing. Saw nothing. No movement.

Eight hunters appeared by the stairwell door, looking worried when Levi approached alone.

“Where is everyone else?” asked one girl.

“Hell if I know. This isn’t good. Stay together and move in formation, we’re going to check out the other side.”

“But if they’re not there that means the demons took them. Why willingly walk into that?” Another boy that looked no older than twenty spoke in a hushed whisper, but his voice was frantic. Levi knew all too well what he had to be feeling, but if demons had just snatched half of his team, he needed to do everything in his power to get them back.

“I know you’re freaked out right now but we have to find them. It’s part of the job. Just stay together and keep your weapons out. Tell anyone if you see something off.” Levi turned and continued forward, working on maintaining his own nerves at the same time.

_Please don’t let it be like last time. Don’t lose anyone else- that’s half the fucking team. Eight people just vanished without a sound, shit. Please don’t let it be like last time_.

The paranoia started to creep up Levi’s throat like a vice, making his heart race faster and sweat bead down the back of his neck. He was trying to keep it together for the sake of his team, but he’d been twitchy from the beginning. This was the absolute last thing he needed to happen on the mission.

Out of the darkness ahead, the remaining members of Team Beta heard a loud crash. It started with a thud, then a second. More objects seemed to clatter on the ground as if they’d all fallen over. Then Levi heard footsteps.

“Team Beta, regroup.” His voice was even, but his hands were shaking like crazy. No one was responding. The air was so thick he could only see his daggers in front of him and that was it. The hunters behind Levi instinctively stepped back, too afraid to advance without their Captain doing so first. But for the safety of his team, Levi knew it wasn’t a good idea. With no one answering, it had to be assumed that his team had been taken by demons. The noises he was hearing weren’t hunters but in fact demons.

He couldn’t even fucking tell if it was demons because he was sensing them all over the damn place anyways. The collective smell and aura made goosebumps break out all over his body and make his mouth go dry.

“Wait here.” No one objected as he stepped forward himself and worked to maneuver around one desk that had been pushed out of place. It was hard to see his feet, and instinctively he was focusing on the ground so he wouldn’t trip. A hunter on his ass was a prime target for a demon to overpower.

Levi felt his foot nudge something and bent down to see it through the aura. The smooth handle of a silver dagger glinted despite their being no light, and he froze. Directly next to the dagger he saw a hand, with all too familiar black veins stretched across the bare skin. He shifted forward and through the aura, came face to face with one of his hunters. The one that had been speaking to him on the street.

The black veins snaked across his face and down his throat and neck. Levi could see where he had been stung- right in the heart. His shirt was torn open in multiple places, the work of demon claws no doubt. But the _veins_. They were completely black all over his body, and all Levi could think of was Eren. Eren had died like this too, and fucking hell, now Levi’s team was lying dead in a damn nest.

He snapped out of the fog like state that had rendered his body a useless shaking mess and didn’t bother moving slow. In one fluid motion, he hopped the desk he’d previously moved around and sprinted back to the remaining half of his group. They looked absolutely terrified when they saw the look on his face, which was good, because they started running quickly and without instruction.

“Get outside, now!” He yelled anyways, making sure the remaining eight hunters were in the stairwell before turning up his earpiece again. “Demons inside confirmed! My team is exiting now, be ready to advance-”

Something solid connected with Levi’s body, sending him flying back into the death trap side of the third floor. He landed in a heap but shot back to his feet quickly. With the speed he’d utilized, he managed to catch the demon before it hit him again and buried his dagger deep in it’s heart. He heard an inhuman growl, followed by a shriek as the demon fell backwards and turned to ash before hitting the ground.

Levi spun on his heel back towards the stairwell, working to get the door open again while at the same time hearing the onslaught of demons that were apparently done playing hide and seek. Without looking behind him he threw the door open, descending the staircase rapidly two, three, and eventually four steps at a time. When he reached the first floor landing he moved for the door handle only to be stopped by a body that had seemingly fallen from above.

With lightning speed he jumped back into a crouch and realized exactly what he was looking at. Another demon, this one with the cockiest fucking grin on it’s face that Levi had ever seen. It’s two toned hair was noticeable even through the collective aura in the building, as well as a pearly white smile adorned with two deadly incisors.

The equally deadly tail Levi knew all too well about was swishing from side to side behind his foe.

“I’m pretty sure there’s a human saying that goes something like ‘the captain always goes down with his ship’, right?”

Levi narrowed his eyes in distaste and gripped his daggers tighter in his hands. “Piece of shit demon,” he muttered, but the creature just laughed.

“I’ll enjoy this more than the others I think. I don’t have to know you well to say you piss me off.” The demon started advancing, leaving the entryway of the stairwell open.

“Ditto,” Levi said before kicking off the ground from his crouched position. He moved quicker than the demon anticipated if the shitty defense was anything to go by. The creature raised its arms to protect its face from the daggers Levi brought down. Two deep slashes adorned the demon’s forearms, and it yelled as the burning sensation progressively got worse. Levi didn’t stop moving for a second. As soon as his feet his the ground, he ducked and extended his arm to cut his opponent a second time. Aiming for the feet was easy, and he tore through the fabric of the demon’s pants to land a nasty cut across its achilles heel.

“Shit!” The demon started to stumble, giving Levi the time he needed to turn tail and run. He knew he could kill the demon now, but it would cost him precious time and he _needed_ to regroup with his team. He needed to find Petra and Hanji so they could take the reigns. The guilt hadn’t hit him yet but he knew it would. His first mission like this in two years and he got half his goddamn team killed.

When he made it outside, nothing could have prepared him for the absolute war zone he’d marched into. Demons were seemingly _pouring_ from the sky, the top floor windows of the building shattering as the creatures leapt down from above. The hunters that had been lying in wait in the shadows were swarmed in an instant by the onslaught of otherworldly creatures, and the screams that followed tore through Levi like his own dagger.

More glass shattered overhead, alerting Levi to the presence of two demons that looked to be trying to trap him in a physical two front. A wave of determination washed over him as he reminded himself of just who he was. What he was. A hunter. And he was tired of feeling like he didn’t have control of this damn mission.

The demons landed on either side of him at the same time, and straight away Levi utilized the recovery time the demon’s needed to slam his dagger into the chest of the one on his right. The creature gagged and clawed at his chest, no doubt feeling the poison of silver flooding its body. Black eyes went wide, then disappeared entirely as the body turned to ash. Wasting no time Levi spun to face his second opponent.

It was a female demon, black eyes narrowed and fangs bared at him in distaste. Her tail coiled around her leg briefly before hanging above her feet in a stiff, prepared way. Claws dug into the meat of her hands as she clenched her fists. Levi kept his face impassive as he began circling the creature. She mirrored his motions, never taking her eyes off of him. There was an all out war going around them; what could have been a hundred demons collectively fighting the Academy’s handful of hunters. Yet Levi was focused on the one demon in front of him. Even though the mix of smells Levi could tell the aura on this she-demon was strong. The way she carried herself spoke worlds about that too; a poised, lethal grace that made Levi think twice about trying to rush her. He would have to be careful. Calculated.

In the end, he didn’t get the chance to make the first move. The demon kicked off the ground with more speed than Levi had ever seen, soaring across the seven foot gap between them and bringing her claws down on the hunter’s dual daggers. Levi pushed back with all his strength, delivering a kick to her stomach the second he had the space to lift his leg. She stumbled back a few steps before rushing him again. Her claws came down where his head had been a split second before; though he’d read the move before she’d executed it and managed to move out of the way.

Using the momentum from his defensive move, Levi ducked low and lunged to the side so he was practically behind her. He slashed one dagger across the demon’s thigh, then spun and slashed the other leg with the opposite weapon.

Levi heard the harsh sound of his opponent hitting the ground behind him and turned to deliver the killing blow. Pushing off the ground was easy enough, and immediately after he turned and brought his daggers down on the demon’s neck.

But the hit never struck.

Instead his daggers were intercepted by _another_ pair of demon hands. Levi’s head jerked up in shock and came nose to nose with the same bloody demon from earlier. The one with two toned hair. The wounds Levi had inflicted before must have healed, seeing as he was standing without collapsing on a slashed achilles heel.

A cat like smile stretched across his face, making Levi scowl in return. “You’re kind of a shit hunter, you know that?”

Levi pulled his daggers away in one fluid motion and put distance between him and the two demons. The female sent a deadly glare in Levi’s direction as her acquaintance pulled her to her feet. She stood on shaky legs, but Levi could already see the wounds he’d inflicted steadily healing.

Cautiously, Levi chanced a look around him. He was a little off to the side of the building, nearly at the entrance of the contiguous alleyway. Hunters and demons alike were fighting throughout the street, and Levi thought he saw Hanji at the other end of the building taking on one demon with a grim look on her face.

Movement from the corner of his eye had him zeroing in his attention back on the two demons he was now stuck with. He was in okay shape at the moment, so fending both of them off wouldn’t be the most difficult thing in the world. But despite Levi’s skill he was pretty sure that was all he would be able to do; fend them off. With a two on one situation involving demons, he knew he would be on the defensive. For how long, he didn’t know.

The two toned dickwad attacked first. He rushed Levi straight on, then surprised the hunter by using a form of martial arts to attempt to knock his daggers from his hands. There wasn’t much Levi could do except jump back into a crouch, keeping his eyes trained on his opponent to track the next move. The demon surprised Levi next by mimicking Levi’s stance in a more animalistic way. Steely grey eyes narrowed, and the demon’s own amber eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement.

He pounced, moving on all fours until he was nearly a foot away from Levi. Claws outstretched, the demon snarled and dug the talons into Levi’s forearm. Against his will the hunter screamed, dropping the dagger he’d previously had in his hand.

“Fuck!” Levi yelled at the same time he blindly slashed at the demon with his other dagger. He felt the demon’s claws retract just as his dagger passed through where the creature’s arm was before. The demon leapt back in an impressive backwards dive that landed him next to the female demon, who was still watching the two males fight.

An overwhelming urge to drop his weapon and clutch the wound hit him, but he knew it wasn’t the time or place. If he put down his dagger now he’d be killed for sure. The fact that he only had one in his hand currently was the worst thing any hunter could be faced with. Daggers were the make or break factor in any fight with a demon.

In a flash Levi had his other dagger off the ground, doing his best to hold it without dropping it. The male demon stepped up again, apparently assuming his _friend_ was incapable of fighting herself. Then again, Levi wasn’t complaining. One at a time suited him just fine.

The demon reared his arm back and brought it around in a right hook. Levi’s lifelong martial arts training aided him in easily avoiding contact with the fist, then turned on his heel to cut clean through the demon’s arm.

Inhuman screaming followed the sound of the demon’s limb hitting the ground. The wound steamed as though it was in the process of lighting on fire, and the creature held his arm in front of him in horror. “You piece of shit hunter! I’ll fucking kill you for this! Christ, _god_ -”

Levi cut him off with a swift roundhouse kick to the ribs, knocking the prick to the ground in an unattractive heap. Without hesitation Levi flipped one of his daggers and buried it in the demon’s thigh, relishing in the pained scream that tore from his lips once again.

There was no time for him to finish the job, however. The she-demon charged him from the side, growling and snapping her teeth at him as she moved to sting him directly. Panic rose in Levi’s throat as he dodged the deadly instrument, his earlier fear starting to sneak back into his mind. Images of Eren’s body haunted the back of his mind even in the midst of a fight; the black veins as stark and visible as the demon currently in front of him.

_Calm down,_ he told himself. _Calm down and be rational. Pay attention._

She caught herself using the wall of the alleyway and pushed off of it, shoulders tense as she turned quickly to swing her leg out. The hunter went to block it, underestimating the power behind the attack. His already damaged forearm took the force of the kick. His ribs did too, and he soared further into the alleyway until he hit the ground and rolled the rest of the way.

Levi collected his bearings as quickly as he could against the roaring pain in his arm. When he moved to sit up, an equally intense pain flared in his side. _Broken rib,_ he diagnosed immediately. _Shit._

With a bit of effort, he took his gun from his holster and leveled it with the advancing demon. She halted immediately, eyes widening then narrowing at him. It was like he could see her thinking of her next move; there wasn’t much she could do without getting shot in the process, and Levi knew she had to know his weapon was loaded with silver bullets.

Remembering all his fellow hunters being picked off one by one forced a sense of urgency on him. There wasn’t time to sit around with these demons- he had to end it now so he could get back to his team. Levi pulled the trigger of his gun, barely managing to control the kickback due to the combined pain in his ribs and forearm. He winced as he dropped his firing arm, and the female demon recoiled as the bullet embedded itself in her torso. He heard the male demon from earlier start screaming as his partner collapsed to one knee, gritting her teeth against the pain.

The shittiest part about the entire situation was that Levi couldn’t take advantage of the fact both demons were down. When he tried to push himself up to leave the alleyway, his ribs screamed out in protest and sent him falling back to the ground. His breathing was strained and sweat beaded down his forehead as he tried again in vain to stand. By the time he’d stumbled back to the ground for the second time, the female demon was growling as she fished the bullet out of her torso.

Levi did a double take, watching in anticipation as clawed fingers found and pried the silver bullet out of her body. She dropped it quickly since her hand was already smoking from contact with the poisonous metal and exhaled deeply.

“Mikasa!” yelled the male demon, eyes wide with concern as she pushed herself to stand back up.

“I’m fine,” she declared, face impassive as she looked back at the hunter.

A sense of almost acceptance settled over Levi like a blanket. The demon called Mikasa was advancing again, her steps steadily faltering less and less as she continued towards him for the umpteenth time. Through the intense racing of his heart in his ears, the sound of the other hunters fighting reached his ears. How many had died so far? How overwhelmed were they?

All of a sudden, as the gap between him and Mikasa was close to disappearing entirely, a sound from above had both freezing and looking up. A figure came crashing down so quickly, all Levi saw was a blur. It landed directly in front of him, seeming small before it jumped and tackled Mikasa. They rolled until Mikasa was underneath the new addition to the scuffle, wheezing as the wind was effectively knocked out of her and she received a harsh blow to her jaw.

The original male demon was there suddenly, leaping and knocking Mikasa’s attacker off of her. The two wound up placed in a standoff, the demon shielded from Levi’s view due to the broad stance of the new fighter. He swung first, moving too fast for the demon to block. The creature stumbled back before another hit was delivered on the side of its body missing his hand. Blocking was impossible for the demon, and Levi watched in awe as he effectively got his ass handed to him.

Levi was positive the person seemingly _protecting_ him was a hunter; they moved like a hunter, fought like one, and knew exactly where to strike the demon to incapacitate it. When the demon fell on its ass again, he turned to take on Mikasa who had been running towards the two. Without looking he reached out and grabbed the woman’s thrown fist, twisting enough to make her scream in pain. Lifting his leg up to kick her in the stomach like Levi had done earlier, he sent Mikasa flying back into the wall behind her. She hit it with a thud, slid down, and slumped forward in a panting heap.

With everyone standing still, Levi finally got a decent look at his defender. The back of him, at least. He had a broad build and defined arms, showed off by the relatively tight black t-shirt he was wearing. His hair was long and hung just above his shoulders, it’s color a strikingly familiar chocolate brown color.

The two demons on the ground mumbled and stirred, clearly out of it after the beatings they had both taken. The man in front of Levi relaxed, his guarded stance slipping away as he faced Levi fully.

His breathing caught in his throat. Confusion flooded his mind. The pain from two years ago suddenly felt all too fresh and real.

Bright, teal eyes met steely grey ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll update when I update, but thank you all for the kudos and comments!

**Author's Note:**

> I have a bit more written for this story since its been in my drafts for like 2 years


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